[arch-general] my intro
I install chris brannon's talking arch linux a little earlier this weekend. It was not the first Linux I've installed either. I use the talking version since I can't see anything at all. For as small a Linux as this is it's impressive. We need a foomatic-rip package though because my parallel printer probably won't work well otherwise and that makes it difficult for those helping me shop to read my grocery lists. I have already built and got astrolog running on archlinux and for free accurate horoscopes that's a good choice. I could probably package it for this Linux if there's enough interest. Another problem probably of interest to a larger audience is no command line spreadsheet programs are yet available. I can probably put some things together for that too. I'll definitely do that for myself and again if there's enough interest I can probably build something and make it available. I do use orca and gnome a little, but the graphical user environment isn't my normal living space while at home. I'm required to use Windows at work so I figure while I'm at home I get to choose my operating systems and my operating system interfaces. I don't want the two environments getting confused with each other.
On 08.08.2010 04:02, Jude DaShiell wrote:
I install chris brannon's talking arch linux a little earlier this weekend. It was not the first Linux I've installed either. I use the talking version since I can't see anything at all. For as small a Linux as this is it's impressive. We need a foomatic-rip package though because my parallel printer probably won't work well otherwise and that makes it difficult for those helping me shop to read my grocery lists. I have already built and got astrolog running on archlinux and for free accurate horoscopes that's a good choice. I could probably package it for this Linux if there's enough interest. Another problem probably of interest to a larger audience is no command line spreadsheet programs are yet available. I can probably put some things together for that too. I'll definitely do that for myself and again if there's enough interest I can probably build something and make it available. I do use orca and gnome a little, but the graphical user environment isn't my normal living space while at home. I'm required to use Windows at work so I figure while I'm at home I get to choose my operating systems and my operating system interfaces. I don't want the two environments getting confused with each other.
Hey Jude, foomatic-rip should be included in the foomatic-filters package. astrolog is available in AUR (http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=32863). There are two tools I know of for CLI spreadsheets. sc and oleo. Both have AUR packages available. Nice to see Arch being used by blind users. Good job, Chris. -- Sven-Hendrik
On 08/07/2010 09:20 PM, Sven-Hendrik Haase wrote:
Nice to see Arch being used by blind users. Good job, Chris.
Wow! I commend you Jude for your shear moxie in getting a Linux distro up and running which is no small task for people with 20/20 vision. And the setup from Chris, I'll have to check that out. Just thinking out what that would entail, from the initial boot, the install and finally to a running OS without the sight sense, that is nothing short of incredible. How do you do it? Seriously, what tools are available that, I guess in some sense, must speak the prompts so you know what's going on? Just curious more than anything else. The only thing I can think of is some type of modification to the prompt that would process the prompt though an OCR utility and then to a text-to-speech app, but what about before that setup is installed? That's pretty amazing and sounds like some cool technology. Best of luck and if you need any help, just ask -- or type. (although by the sound of it, I may be the one asking you for help). -- David C. Rankin, J.D.,P.E. Rankin Law Firm, PLLC 510 Ochiltree Street Nacogdoches, Texas 75961 Telephone: (936) 715-9333 Facsimile: (936) 715-9339 www.rankinlawfirm.com
On 8 August 2010 11:05, David C. Rankin <drankinatty@suddenlinkmail.com> wrote:
Seriously, what tools are available that, I guess in some sense, must speak the prompts so you know what's going on? Just curious more than anything else.
Jude is not the only one, there are a lot more users like him running Linux. Chris's addition makes it far easier for blind users to get up and running with Arch, specifically. Without screen readers, though, this wouldn't have been possible. So, technology wins again, followed closely by perserverance. -- GPG/PGP ID: B42DDCAD
"David C. Rankin" <drankinatty@suddenlinkmail.com> writes:
Seriously, what tools are available that, I guess in some sense, must speak the prompts so you know what's going on?
These tools are known as screenreaders. They usually provide at least two functions: 1. Speak text as it appears, and 2. Allow the user to manually review the contents of the screen.
The only thing I can think of is some type of modification to the prompt that would process the prompt though an OCR utility and then to a text-to-speech app,
It's simpler than that. No OCR is involved, since the text is already machine-readable.
but what about before that setup is installed? That's pretty amazing and sounds like some cool technology.
The software is available on my custom ISO image. The system starts talking shortly after someone boots a machine with a CD or USB stick containing that image. He or she does the install, taking care to add some extra packages at the end of the process. After rebooting from the HD, the system should start speaking. -- Chris Website: http://the-brannons.com/
There were two accessibility developments that made this possible. First the speakup project http://www.linuxspeakup.org/ was the first. Then there was the espeakup project. The Linux Speakup project made Linux talk over a set ofhardware speech synthesizers. Then the espeakup project added onto the Linux speakup project by using a system's sound card and speakers rather than a hardware speech synthesizer. After that, Chris Brannon put it altogether in the form of a talking arch linux installation disk. That was announced on the speakup mailing list and I'm interested in installing what accessible Linux flavors that are available so I know how to do that in the future. Another thing is with each Linux installation I learn things about security and other considerations and those get applied to future installations. I also get to learn lots about my hardware, not all of it good but not all of it bad either.On Sat, 7 Aug 2010, David C. Rankin wrote:
On 08/07/2010 09:20 PM, Sven-Hendrik Haase wrote:
Nice to see Arch being used by blind users. Good job, Chris.
Wow!
I commend you Jude for your shear moxie in getting a Linux distro up and running which is no small task for people with 20/20 vision. And the setup from Chris, I'll have to check that out. Just thinking out what that would entail, from the initial boot, the install and finally to a running OS without the sight sense, that is nothing short of incredible. How do you do it?
Seriously, what tools are available that, I guess in some sense, must speak the prompts so you know what's going on? Just curious more than anything else.
The only thing I can think of is some type of modification to the prompt that would process the prompt though an OCR utility and then to a text-to-speech app, but what about before that setup is installed? That's pretty amazing and sounds like some cool technology.
Best of luck and if you need any help, just ask -- or type. (although by the sound of it, I may be the one asking you for help).
-- David C. Rankin, J.D.,P.E. Rankin Law Firm, PLLC 510 Ochiltree Street Nacogdoches, Texas 75961 Telephone: (936) 715-9333 Facsimile: (936) 715-9339 www.rankinlawfirm.com
I found the aur link on the archlinux.org page but so far, pacman isn't searching and accessing aur. Is this something that can be done or is this better done with a different tool? On Sun, 8 Aug 2010, Sven-Hendrik Haase wrote:
On 08.08.2010 04:02, Jude DaShiell wrote:
I install chris brannon's talking arch linux a little earlier this weekend. It was not the first Linux I've installed either. I use the talking version since I can't see anything at all. For as small a Linux as this is it's impressive. We need a foomatic-rip package though because my parallel printer probably won't work well otherwise and that makes it difficult for those helping me shop to read my grocery lists. I have already built and got astrolog running on archlinux and for free accurate horoscopes that's a good choice. I could probably package it for this Linux if there's enough interest. Another problem probably of interest to a larger audience is no command line spreadsheet programs are yet available. I can probably put some things together for that too. I'll definitely do that for myself and again if there's enough interest I can probably build something and make it available. I do use orca and gnome a little, but the graphical user environment isn't my normal living space while at home. I'm required to use Windows at work so I figure while I'm at home I get to choose my operating systems and my operating system interfaces. I don't want the two environments getting confused with each other.
Hey Jude,
foomatic-rip should be included in the foomatic-filters package. astrolog is available in AUR (http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=32863).
There are two tools I know of for CLI spreadsheets. sc and oleo. Both have AUR packages available.
Nice to see Arch being used by blind users. Good job, Chris.
-- Sven-Hendrik
On 09.08.2010 01:33, Jude DaShiell wrote:
I found the aur link on the archlinux.org page but so far, pacman isn't searching and accessing aur. Is this something that can be done or is this better done with a different tool?
You should try installing an AUR helper, it will make your life somewhat easier. See here: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/AUR_Helpers For most people, yaourt probably works fine but so will packer, clyde, slurpy, cower, bauerbill etc etc. This is Arch Linux, and we need 24 AUR helpers. -- Sven-Hendrik
Thanks Sven, I was going to go for another package on the aur helpers list but kept getting error 404 when trying to connect to the web site so ended up with aurbuild. There may be better helpers available but I haven't checked into that yet.On Mon, 9 Aug 2010, Sven-Hendrik Haase wrote:
On 09.08.2010 01:33, Jude DaShiell wrote:
I found the aur link on the archlinux.org page but so far, pacman isn't searching and accessing aur. Is this something that can be done or is this better done with a different tool?
You should try installing an AUR helper, it will make your life somewhat easier.
See here: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/AUR_Helpers For most people, yaourt probably works fine but so will packer, clyde, slurpy, cower, bauerbill etc etc. This is Arch Linux, and we need 24 AUR helpers.
-- Sven-Hendrik
participants (5)
-
Chris Brannon
-
David C. Rankin
-
Jude DaShiell
-
Ray Rashif
-
Sven-Hendrik Haase